Steve House seriously injured

By Jonathan Thesenga
, Apr 6, 2006

Steve House, the 2006 winner, along with Vince Anderson, of the prestigious Golden Piton from Climbing and the lesser-known Piolet d’ Or for their alpine-style ascent of the Rupal Face on Nanaga Parbat, seriously injured his left index finger in late March at Smith Rock State Park, Oregon, specifically on the area’s notoriously drilled sport climb, Churning In The Wake (5.13a).

“It was a rookie mistake,” House said. “I wasn’t warmed up and there wasn’t any sport climbers around to tell me what I was doing was wrong.”

House, who lives in nearby Bend and, in a break from his usual light-and-fast approach, has been covertly sieging the 70-foot route for over four months and was, reportedly, whisper close to the redpoint, blew out his left index finger on one of the route’s many drilled pockets. Which pocket caused the trauma is, at this time, unclear.

House, in an exclusive cell-phone interview from a Santa Barbara airport bar, said he can still crimp just fine, but that he “can’t even open-hand my luggage.”

All of us here at Climbing wish Steve strength during this terribly difficult time, and hope for his speedy and healthy recovery.Comment on this story